Grupo Cañaveral

Furia Musical award-winning Grupo Cañaveral was formed in January of 1995 by vocalist/percussionist and ex-Corraleros de Majagual Humberto Pabón Olivares, as well as journalist/radio announcer Agustín Teutli Delgado, with the intent of resurrecting the-then dormant Mexican cumbia style. During their early years, they not only accomplished their goal, but evolved the style of cumbia into forward-thinking music of their own hybrid design. Grupo Cañaveral became a top-selling outfit after achieving three gold records by their third anniversary in 1998. (Since then, they’ve also achieved double gold and diamond status for later recordings.) Grupo Cañaveral became one of the hardest touring acts in Mexico. They not only played their own country and the southwestern United States, but went east to headline stages and festivals across Latin America. Their enduring popularity facilitated appearances in the Mexican soap opera scene. The band had a role in Siempre Te Amare — which starred Laura Flores and Fernando Carrillo — and they later appeared in Maria de Todos Los Angeles. The band is also a family affair with Humberto’s son Emir Pabón adding lead vocals and percussion; he’d previously collaborated with Giant Sonora, Wilfrido Vargas, and Grupo Mayor. Another son, Dairon Pabon, plays tambor alegre. The hits kept coming for Grupo Cañaveral. 2002′s No Mientas Mas, 2005′s No Te Voy a Perdonar, and 2009′s Flor de Mayo all charted. In 2010, Hui Pi Pi... with Emir fronting the band, began a new chapter and was their biggest hit since the ’90s. In 2011, the band underwent several personnel changes and renamed themselves Grupo Cañaveral de Pabon. This version was delivered on Juntos por la Cumbia in 2014 and on an accompanying live album. In 2017 they issued Fiesta Total, which featured collaborations with Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Los Claxons, Belinda, Valentino, Lucero, and Matute on different takes of the band’s hits as well as cumbia versions of tracks by their guests. ~ Drago Bonacich